Ashampoo Music Studio 7

Ashampoo Music Studio 7 is a capable collection of tools which makes it easy to build, manage and share your music collection.

There are modules to rip your CDs, or burn audio files to disc. You can edit your files, check or edit audio tags, or convert music between various formats (MP3, OGG, WAV, FLAC, WMA, Opus). An Organizer renames or moves files based on their tags, a "Video to Music" function extracts and cuts video soundtracks, and there's an audio recorder, a normalisation tool, a cover art and inlay designer, and more.

These functions are often more complete than you'd expect. The CD ripper doesn't just grab all the files from a disc and dump then in a folder, for instance. You can now choose exactly which tracks to import, selectively edit key tags, define quality settings (sample rate, bitrate, channels), and pick your preferred file naming scheme (artist-title, track artist-title, track artist-title year, or some other custom arrangement of your own).

Ashampoo Music Studio doesn't take much effort to use, either. A straightforward interface organises its features into eight categories, and several of the modules deliver maximum power for the very minimum of effort. Point the "Analyze Files" option at your Music folder, say, and it'll scan for incorrect file extensions, missing tags and more, before fixing them all with a single click.

Even the lesser functions don't disappoint. The audio editor can't compete with a specialist tool, but it still displays the waveform of your chosen track, can trim sections as required, allows you to insert, mix or crossfade new files, tweak volume, apply fades and more.

Ashampoo Music Studio 7 brings with it several new and enhanced features. The user interface has been refreshed and optimized for faster handling. The DJ Track Mixer feature employs BPM analysis for harmonious song mixes and Quick Rip is the fastest way to rip music CDs.

Ashampoo Music Studio 7 is the perfect choice for users who need to record, rip, burn, cut, convert or mix music and also comes with all the tools to create playlists, organize music collections or create and design covers in a flash.

Please note, there is one potential gotcha: Windows Vista is no longer supported.

Verdict

It's not always a significant improvement on the best-of-breed freeware, but Ashampoo Music Studio 7 does provide a great deal of music management functionality in a straightforward and easy-to-use package.